Coin-controlled time switch



Dec. 25, 1928. 1,696,34

L. D. SLUSSER COIN CONTROLLED TIME SWITCH Filed S p 16, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheetl lll l I 171517 B. 6']; z'rdaz'ze Dec. 25, 1928.

1,696,364 L. D. SLUSSER COIN CONTROLLED TIME SWITCH Filed p 16, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .FIG .2 FIG .3

r I /Y Patented Dec. 25, 1928.

.UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEE D. snussnn, or o'r'rawa, OHIO, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF T e. r. DONART, or

OTTAWA, onro.

, COIN-CONTBOIJaE-D TIME SWITCH.

. Application filed September 16, 1927. Serial No. 220,010.

This invention relates to a coin controlled time switch designed primarily for use in connection with radio receiving sets although it can be employed in connection with other kinds of apparatus utilizing electric currents.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a simple and compact mechanism which, when a coin or check of roper value is inserted thereinto will act to-c ose a circuit 1 0 to the mechanism to be operated, said circuit being maintained closed until broken by the operation of clock mechanism. A further object is to provide means controlled by the insertion of a coin or check for coupling the mechanism to and uncoupling 1t from the clock portion so that each insertlon of the coin will start the mechanism and insure operation thereof for a predetermined time whereby the operation will be stopped an automatically,

With the foregoing and other objects 1n view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the Invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention. I

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings,

Figure 1 is a view of the complete apparatus, parts being shown in section, parts in elevation and parts in diagram, these parts being illustrated in their normal positions.

- Flgure 2 is a view of a portion of the apparatus showing the relative positions of the parts following the insertion of acoin or check.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the relative positions of the parts upon the completion of the insertion o a coin or check and duringthe actuation of the apparatus controlled thereby.

Figure 4 is a View part1 in sectlon and partly in elevation of the c utch means employed for coupling the clock mechanism to the circuit closer of the time switch.

Figure 5 is a detail view of the trigger of themechanism showing the connection between said trigger and its controlling rod.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates a coin chute having a substantially vertical portion 2 adjacent which is arranged an upper trigger 3 pivotally mounted as at 4 and normally pressed bya light spring 5 so as to project into the portion 2 of the coin chute. A lower trigger 6 is pivotally mounted as at 7 adjacent the portion 2 of the coin chute and normally projects into said portion. This trigger 6 has an arm 8 extending therefrom provided with a notch 9. 'A finger 10 is extended from thetrigger 3 toward the trigger 6 and, under nor- -mal conditions, bears upon the arm 8 at a point between the pivot 7 and the notch 9, thereby to hold the free end of the trigger 6 against downward movement. These relative positions of the parts have been illus-' trated in Figure 1. When the parts are thus located a coin or check C of proper value will be supported by the end of the trigger 6 against the opposed wall of the coin chute. The arm 8 has an extension 11 formed with a lateral ear 12 and loosely mounted in this car is the upper end portion of a rod 13 having a head 14 for preventing the rod from being pulled downwardl out of the ear. The lower end of rod 13 is plvotally connected to a bar 15'constituting a portion of thebottom wall of the coin chute and extending across the lower end of the portion 2 of said chute. This bar is pivotally mounted as at 16'and a light spring 17 may e employed for supporting it yieldmgly. A finger 18 is extended from the bar and has a projecting lug 19 which, under normal conditions, is supported in contact with a pivoted armature 20 held against a stop 21 by a spring 22. This armature has a promoting lug 23 supported normally under the finger 18 I where it can engage with the lug 19 when said finger is depressed out of normal position. A contact 24.- is carried by but insulated from the bar 15 and is electrically connected, as at 25 to the positive side of an A battery. Contact 24 is normally spaced from but close to another contact 26 ieldingly supported by a spring 27 electricaily connected, as at 28 to the coil 29 of an electromagnet 30, this coil being electrically connected as at'31, to the negative A. terminal of the set or other apparatus controlled bythe mechanism. A clock mechanism has been indicated generally at 32 and some rotatable part of this mechanism, such as the arbor 33 of the minute hand, has a spool 34 composed of such metal as has very little retentivity secured thereto while loosely mounted on the arbor 0] use to this spool is other spool 35 of such metal as has very little retentivity, as for example, soft iron, and spool 35 is provided with a ratchet wheel 36. When the magnet is energized, the spool 34 which rotates with the arbor of the clock mechanism will be magnetized, thereby attracting spool 35 and causing it to rotate with the arbor. When the circuit is broken, spool 35 will be released so that the arbor can rotate without rotating said spool.

Normally bearing against the ratchet wheel 36 is a spring 37 electrically connected as at 38, preferably through a resistance 39, a condenser 40 and a resistance 41. This resistance, in turn, is electrically .connected as at 42 to the positive side of a B battery or eliminator while the negative side thereof is electrically connected as at 43 to the condenser40 and to the coil 44 of the electromagnet associated with armature 20. A contact 45 is carried by the spring 37 and is disposed adjacent another contact 46 electrically connected-as. at 47 to the coil 44. It is to be understood of course that the Bbattery having the leads 42 and 43 is the B battery of the radio receiving set controlled by this apparatus and the A battery having the leads 25 and 31 is connected in series with the A battery circuit of said receiving set. This set or other apparatus controlled by the mechanism constituting the present invention has been indicated generally at S.

Under normal conditions the parts are arranged as shown in Figure 1, the lower trigger 6 supporting a coin or check G and being held in supporting position by the finger 10 while bar 15 is yieldingly supported by the spring 17 with the contacts 24 and 26 spaced apart. When it is desired to operate the set S a coin is inserted in the chute 1 as shown at C in Figure 2. It'will come against the projecting trigger 3 and swing the same downwardly and laterally to position opposite the notch 9. The weight of the coin or check G will promptly cause the trigger 6 to swing downwardly so that the notch in arm 8 will receive the end of finger 10 and hold trigger 3 against further movement. At the same time the coin C will be released and, as shown in Figure?) willfall onto the bar 15 with sufficient forc'e'to depress the bar and cause the lug 19 to snap into engagement with lug 23. This action wlll cause the contact 24 to engage contact 26 and close the circuit to the set or other apparatus controlled by the mechanism and the electromagnet 29, with the result that the ratchet wheel 36 will be coupled to the arbor 33 of the clock mechanism and will begin to rotate. While the set S is in operation and contact oints 45 and 46 are open the condenser 40 wi 1 be charged bythe current from the B battery or eliminator through the resistance 41. After the set has been in operation a predetermined time the spring 37 will be released from the ratchet tooth engaged thereby so that contact 45 will close against contact 46. The currents from the condenser will thus be directed to the coil 44 which will cause armature 20 to be attracted and release the finger 18, allowing bar 15 to return to normal position assisted by spring 17, until it reaches the position shown in Figure 1 whereupon trigger 3 will be reset as shown in Figure 1 and the circuit to the A battery will be broken at 24 and 26. The magnet 29 is de-energized so that ratchet wheel 36 is held stationary during further operation of the clock mechanism.

Although the arbor 33 has been described as a part of clock mechanism it is to be understood that, if desired, it can be driven by an electric motor.

To insure proper operation of this apparatus it is only necessary that the contact at 46 be broken a suflicient length of time to allow the condenser to store up a suflicient charge to operate the magnet 44 after which the contacts 46 and 45 are allowed to close. The resistance 41 is of such value that the amount of current passing from B battery, while contacts 46 and 45 are closed, is negligible.

What is claimed is:

1. A coin controlled attachment for radio receiving sets and the like, including a B power circuit having a magnet and a circuit closer, awheel for intermittently actuating the circuit closer, and a driving mechanism, of a coin chute, a normally open A power circuit, means actuated by the impact of a coin for closing the A power circuit, a latch for engaging said means to hold the A power circuit closed, means controlled by the closing of said A power circuit for coupling the driving mechanism to the wheel, thereby to close the B power circuit after a predetermined time interval, a condenser, means for charging the condenser, and means actuated by the energizing of the magnet by discharge of the condenser when the B power circuit is closed, for actuating the latch to release the coin 11o operated means and break the A power circuit.

2. A coin controlled timing attachment for radio receivin sets and the like includin a B power circuit having a resistance, an e ectromagnet and a circuit closer; a condenser bridging the circuit between the resistance and the magnet, a member for intermittentl actuating the circuit closer, driving mechanism, an A power circuit, means operated by the impact of a coin for closing the A power circuit, a latch for holding said means in circuit closing position, said latch constituting the armature of the magnet, and means operated by the closing of the A power circuit for coupling the driving mechanism to the actusting member thereby to momentarily close the power circuit and energize the magnet by discharge of the condenser, said magnet, when energized, being adapted to actuate its in armature to release the circuit closer of the A power circuit and break said circuit.

3. A coin controlled timing attachment for radio receiving sets and the like including a B power circuit having a resistance, an electromagnet,-and a circuit closer; a condenser bridging the circuit between the resistance and the magnet, a member for intermittently actuating the circuit closer, driving mechanism, an A power circuit, a yieldingly supported pivoted element operated by the impact of a coin, for closing the A power ciremit, a latch for holding said element in circuit closing position, said latch constituting the armature of the magnet, means operated by the closing of the A power circuit for coupling the driving mechanism to the actuatinfi member thereby to momentarily close the power circuit and energize the magnet by discharge of the condenser, said magnet when energized constituting means for actuating its armature to release the circuit closing element of the A power circuit to break said circuit, and means for depositing a coin on said impact receiving element, said means including an upper latch normally projecting into the path of a coin, a finger thereon, a lower latch normally projecting into the path of the coin and restrained by said finger, and

means operated by the impact receiving ele-' ment for shifting the lower latch into coin retaining position, said upper latch and its finger when shifted by a deposited coin, constituting means for releasing the lower latch to free a coin engaged thereby.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, Iv have hereto aflixed my signature.

LEE D. SLUSSER. 

